The World Anti-Doping Agency reached a ‘pivotal moment in sport’ on Wednesday night after suspending the Russian anti-doping agency and also declaring the national anti-doping agencies in Andorra, Israel, Argentina, Bolivia and Ukraine ’non-complaint’.

In what amounted to a massive global crackdown on countries currently falling short of WADA standards, Brazil, Belgium, France, Greece, Mexico and Spain were placed on a ‘watch list’ with an order to meet ‘strict conditions’ by March 18 2016.

Failure to meet those conditions will also see them declared non-compliance.

Dick Pound wrote the report detailing anti-doping corruption in Russia that has been acted upon by WADA

Leaders from the World Anti-Doping Agency suspended Russia's testing operation at a meeting in Colorado

The WADA board, meeting this week in Colorado, also said it was taking on key recommendations made by the independent commission report into a state-sponsored doping system in Russia by ‘strengthening the investigations unit, compliance and whistleblowing unit’.

‘Firm action was requested following the WADA report and firm action is being taken,’ said WADA on their Twitter feed on Wednesday night.

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‘A clear road map is emerging for sport at this crossroads meeting for the anti-doping movement. Protecting clean athletes the rallying call.’

The measures taken will be of particular embarrassment to France and Brazil, who host the UEFA European Championship and the Rio Olympic Games respectively next summer.

Protecting clean athletes was described as 'the rallying call’ on Wednesday night as firm action was taken

WADA's Twitter profile announces measures will be taken against the Russian Anti-Doping Agency

Argentina, Bolivia and Ukraine's testing laboratories were labelled non-compliant in the crackdown

WADA says it was reaching a ‘pivotal moment in sport’ with their focus on those not meeting their standards

The ‘non-compliant’ countries have failed to respond sufficiently to WADA's request for information while Argentina, Bolivia and Ukraine have been found to be using non-accredited laboratories.

It means drug testing will be carried out independently with the country in question footing the bill.

Kenya has also been ordered to explain its doping controls or join those countries on the watch list. Wada have warned Kenya, already rocked by a rash of positive tests and a corruption scandal amid allegations that senior officials siphoned money directly from the Athletics Kenya bank account, that they will face sanctions if their responses are ‘unsatisfactory’.

WADA on Wednesday declared RUSADA as non-compliant with its anti-doping code and suspending its operation with immediate effect.

The decision comes in the wake of last week's independent report which said there had been state-sponsored, systematic doping practices in Russia.

The IAAF then provisionally suspended Russia after a vote of 22-1 by its council members, and now WADA has declared RUSADA non-compliant along with five other nations.

Here, Sportsmail looks at some of the questions surrounding the decision.

WHAT DOES NON-COMPLIANT MEAN?

Non-compliance means failing to respond fully to WADA's requests for information and as a result anti-doping organisations cannot conduct operations until they reinstall operations that are deemed compliant by WADA.